Sean Cavanagh and Tyrone not looking to steer clear of Dublin

Seán Cavanagh and Eddie Brennan in Croke Park to launch the ‘EirGrid Moments in Time’ campaign, as part of its timing partnership with the GAA. The campaign will culminate with a club in each province winning a digital clock and scoreboard. To enter post an image of your favourite GAA moment of the championship on Instagram or Twitter using #EirGridGAA. More information & T&C’s available at www.eirgridgroup.com. Pictured at the launch is Tyrone footballer Sean Cavanagh. (Image: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

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After their demolition of Westmeath, most counties would want to steer clear of Dublin - but not Sean Cavanagh and Tyrone.

It’s somewhat surprising that the counties haven’t crossed paths in the Championship since 2011 given that Dublin are ever presents in the last eight and Tyrone are there more often than not.

If they both win their next two matches, they’ll be on a collision course at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, a challenge Cavanagh would relish.

The 34-year-old said: “For sure. I’ve said this before - I didn’t believe a team could dominate the sport the way Dublin have dominated in the last few years.

“I didn’t believe that was possible having won our All-Irelands in the 2000s. I knew how difficult it was coming back the next year and trying to do it again, so looking at Dublin and seeing what they have done under Gavin is quite phenomenal.

“People can talk about resources and what not, but that doesn’t win games on match days. It helps in the preparation, sure it does, but it’s how he has been able to keep players motivated and hungry when times get difficult.

“That’s where we struggled probably through the 2000s. Whenever it was really put to us, maybe we just weren’t as motivated and as hungry and as energetic as we needed to be to drive home games [as defending champions].

Seán Cavanagh and Eddie Brennan in Croke Park to launch the ‘EirGrid Moments in Time’ campaign, as part of its timing partnership with the GAA. The campaign will culminate with a club in each province winning a digital clock and scoreboard. To enter post an image of your favourite GAA moment of the championship on Instagram or Twitter using AA. More information & T&C’s available at www.eirgridgroup.com. Pictured at the launch is Tyrone footballer Sean Cavanagh. (Image: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)

“Dublin have been scary in the way they’ve done that, you are looking at that Westmeath game and you are thinking, ‘How is that even possible to get a football team to beat another team who were in the Leinster final last year by 31 points?’ It’s ridiculous actually.

“That’s the ultimate challenge; it’s the bar where we are all striving to be. Hopefully we get that chance to see where we are at.”

Cavanagh admits that Tyrone are still behind Dublin, Kerry and Mayo but is hopeful that they can bridge that gap this year.

“I've sensed it for a couple of years that we're not far away from that sort of, you know, hoping to take that next step.

“Ultimately we've fallen, in '15, to Kerry, and last year to Mayo. That is the next stage, the next stage is trying to take down one of the big names.

“That's what you have to do. To become a big name you have to take one of them down.

“I suppose we're not considering that far forward. If we can get through Sunday we'll think about that. But yeah, that's where I feel we're at.”